Agricultural chemicals and fertilizers must be applied within very narrow time windows for maximum effectiveness. In some cases, this means that application must be performed after the crops have emerged, and sometimes even after the crops have grown to a height of several feet tall. To apply chemicals and fertilizers without damaging standing crops specialized self-propelled agricultural product applicators, having high ground clearance, such as so-called high-boy sprayers or dry product applicators, are often utilized with standing crops. The high ground clearance allows the applicator to move through the standing crops without damaging them.
Such high ground clearance applicators also typically utilize independent hydrostatic drive and suspension systems for each wheel of the applicator, and provide some means for adjusting the track width of the wheels to match the row spacing of the crop being treated. Since the row spacing varies for different types of crops, and as a matter of custom in various locations, such self-propelled applicators also typically include some apparatus for adjusting the track width to match the row spacing.
In the past, self-propelled agricultural product applicators typically utilized driveline arrangements in which one or more driven devices, such as a series of pumps, connected one to another to form a pump stack, a hydrostatic or geared transmission device, or an electrical generator, for example, were attached directly to the engine, or mounted in close proximity to the engine in the engine compartment. Such a configuration requires that the engine compartment be longer than desirable, particularly in applicators having the engine mounted in a cantilevered arrangement extending forward of the wheels of the applicator.
It is desirable, therefore, to provide an improved drive line arrangement for use in self-propelled agricultural applicators in which a driven device, such as a pump stack can be mounted remotely from the engine, while still being driven directly by the engine. It is further desired that such an improved drive line arrangement will provide greater flexibility in the design of self-propelled applicators, allowing optimization of utility, performance, and improved effectiveness and efficiency of manufacture and operation.